Controversy aside, Harbor hires new teachers

HARBOR SPRINGS - There was standing room only at the Harbor Springs School Board meeting Tuesday as the board approved 14 new teachers and one new administrator.

After recognizing and thanking the many volunteers involved in the recent hiring process, superintendent Dave Larson explained that the search for the new interim elementary principal was kept to retiring teachers. This would allow the district a savings of $60,000 by not having to supply medical insurance and pension coverage. And it would give the district more time to do a lengthy statewide search.

Recommended for the position was retiring Harbor Springs teacher Ron Gean. He would be given a one year contract and would work in direct partnership with Shay Elementary principal Steve Palmer.

"As we work through this we'll determine who's responsible for what. We can evaluate it throughout the year with a decision being made a year from now to proceed," Larson said. "It's a creative solution."

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But board member Joan Fenton said she was disappointed the principal search was so limited, at least for now.

"I'm disappointed there wasn't some advertising done in the local papers to find a retired administrator. I think we need someone skilled and experienced," she said, noting she was concerned about the amount of new teachers that would be in the building. "I think this is a critical year. We have to build consensus, we have to build a team."

Others on the board felt that Gean with the help of Palmer would be able to provide that.

"This is a creative solution and it takes someone like Mr. Gean," Wil Cwikiel said.

"He's coming from that team," continued board member Robert Fuhrman. "That's a good team-building atmosphere. I feel very strongly we're not putting our kids at a disadvantage with Mr. Gean. And we've got the experience of Dr. Palmer."

Board president Lynn Glahn said she was on the hiring committee for the new administrator and she doesn't have any reservations about Gean's abilities.

Other board members, except for Fenton who voted against the hiring, agreed, and welcomed Gean to the administration team.

Following Gean's appointment, the board unanimously hired all 14 teachers that were recommended by the hiring committees. The crowd gave a standing ovation to welcome the new teachers.

"It's such an impressive group," Cwikiel said.

Yet not all in the audience were in agreement. Before the board's vote, John Fischer, who was elected to the board in Monday's election, expressed his continued concern over the process used to hire.

"The process seemed to be strictly asking questions. It didn't seem to be going in and seeing if they could teach," he said.

Fischer also pointed out that one of the teachers (he was asked not to name names) did not have an activated teacher certificate at the time of hiring. The certificate, which he pointed out was provisional, was just recently reinstated.

Resident Mark Troilo also expressed his concern over the board's creative solutions, both with hiring and with the construction project.

Glahn thanked those for their comments. No one from the board replied to the statements made.

Before the board meeting was adjourned, board members Glahn and Fred Koehler were thanked for their board service (the two will step down following Monday's election) and given a standing ovation.